Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Policy

Brother Wolf Animal Rescue is committed to providing a safe working environment for all our its employees, visitors and and volunteers. We are committed to providing a environment free from discrimination and harassment, including sexual harassment. In addition to complying with federal and state nondiscrimination laws, the goal of this policy is to (a) protect employees, visitors and volunteers from discrimination and harassment, including employees and volunteers not covered by existing law, and (b) create a culture where every individual is treated with respect.

Brother Wolf Animal Rescue maintains a zero tolerance policy for discrimination or harassment in the workplace by investigating any complaint made by or about an employee or volunteer. Any employee or volunteer found to have harassed or discriminated against another person will face disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal from employment and dismissal from volunteering with our organization. All allegations of discrimination or harassment will be taken seriously, promptly investigated, and there will be no retaliation for making such allegations. Limited disclosure may be required in order to conduct an investigation, or in the case of imminent danger to the employee or volunteer.

Brother Wolf Animal Rescue recognizes that harassment can occur between any two or more people, regardless of their sex or gender identity and whether or not they are in a position of power. Brother Wolf Animal Rescue understands the need to support employees in making complaints and supervisors in modeling appropriate behavior.

Brother Wolf Animal Rescue recognizes that sexual harassment can occur between people of the same sex or gender, including those who don’t identify with a specific gender. No policy can prescribe what should be done on every occasion because circumstances vary.

Any employee or volunteer who becomes aware of discrimination or harassment in the workplace, even if they are not directly involved, is expected to report the incident to a Designated Person.

During business travel or travel for any reason, no employee or volunteer will be required to share a bedroom with a person of a different sex or gender, or any other person that would result in their feeling vulnerable or unsafe. The employee or volunteer must inform their supervisor if they’re uncomfortable rooming with a particular sex, gender, or person.

Brother Wolf makes our discrimination and harassment policy available to the public by posting it publicly on our website.

This document will be amended as the need arises by either the President of the organization, Director of Animal Care, or the Executive Director.

Brother Wolf Animal Rescue endeavors to grow and learn, providing room for improvement in writing and implementing this policy, in the hope that the employees and volunteers associated with Brother Wolf Animal Rescue will contribute to a fair and respectful culture in the Animal Rights and Animal Welfare movement.

Definitions:

Brother Wolf uses the following definitions in relationship to this policy.

Designated person/staff member: A designated staff member at Brother Wolf is the employee’s supervisor, their supervisor’s supervisor, or the Human Resources Manager.

Discrimination is the differential treatment of an employee or volunteer on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other factor that is legislatively protected in the country in which you work (“Protected Classes”). Per federal law, discrimination is illegal in work-related decisions including hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoff, training, fringe benefits, and any other term or condition of employment.

Brother Wolf Animal Rescue recognizes that existing federal and state nondiscrimination laws cannot cover all types of behavior or groups of people. Brother Wolf Animal Rescue further defines discrimination as differential treatment of any person with regard to work-related decisions based on any characteristics outside of professional qualifications, and harassment as unwelcome conduct against any person where they feel threatened, publicly humiliated, or intimidated.

Harassment is unwelcome conduct including physical, verbal, and nonverbal behaviors, and results in a hostile environment. Per federal law, harassment is illegal when unwelcome conduct is related to any of the Protected Classes and when enduring the conduct becomes a condition of continued employment or volunteerism, or the conduct is so severe or pervasive that a reasonable person would consider the working environment intimidating, hostile, or abusive.

Examples of harassment include, but are not limited to:

Humiliation in front of coworkers/volunteers

Repeated unwelcome remarks or jokes

Exercising, attempting to exercise, or threatening to exercise physical force against an employee or volunteer in the workplace that causes or could cause physical injury to the employee or volunteer

Comments that promote stereotyping of any of the Protected Classes

Comments related to an employee or volunteer’s ethnic, racial, or religious affiliation, or their sexual orientation, gender, or age, that are publicly humiliating, offensive, threatening, or that undermine the employee or volunteer’s role in a professional environment

Sexual harassment is unwanted conduct that is sexual in nature. Examples of sexual harassment include, but are not limited to:

Sexual comments, stories, and jokes, including bragging about sexual prowess

Repeated and unwanted social invitations for dates or physical intimacy

The use of job-related threats or rewards to solicit sexual favors

Comments on an employee or volunteer’s appearance or private life

Display of sexually explicit or suggestive material

Insults based on the sex or gender identity of the worker or volunteer

Physical violence, including sexual assault

Sending sexually explicit messages

Sexually-suggestive gestures

Whistling

Leering

Workplace is any place where work-related activities are conducted, including, but not limited to, the physical work premises, work-related conferences or training sessions, work-related travel, work-related social functions, such as dinners with donors, and work-related electronic communication, such as email, chat, text, social media, phone calls, and virtual meetings.